The Dillon tribune., 1887-12-09
PRINTED PAGES REPRODUCED
by the "Washout'' Gelatine Process.
Utilizing the SUMS Rays.

Utilizing the SUMS Rays.
The English edition Of an encyclopedias
is being reproduced entire, in exact fac
simile, without line Of type being set.
The process by which it is being done, like
many inventions of the kind, is extremely
simple, and yet requires such delicacy il.
handling that it has taken years of careful
experimenting to bring it to its present
state of perfection. The q, 600 pages and
the thousands Of illustrations making up
the encyclopaedia are being Reproduced by
tin". such as you use at home in your
cooking. Nothing more, except few
chemicals ordinary brushes that can he
bought anywhere for \ quarter, and
nothing less.
The idea of the ''washout' gelatine pro-
cess is not a new one. It certainly dates
back n dozen years. But it was in 1884
that the patent under which the cncyclo-
ptclia is being reproduced was first Oh
tanned. But then it was not practical. In
two or three years several different own.
crs Of the patent found it an elephant on
their hands, and because they could not
work it practically-in other words, ito
make money out Of it';-failed. Finally
a year ago it began to assume u more
practical shape, anl. the company then
of New York publishers to reproduce the
encyclopaedia. Like many new things the
process was cranky" and refused to
work practically and steadily enough to
produce the result aimed at. The thing
dragged along, until finally last April the
company made an assignment, and its
plant and patent were bought by a former
member of The Boston Globes staff. He
saw what simple changes were needed
to make the process Il success, and now
plates for the new popular reprint of the
encyclopaedia are being turned out COM
plcte and ready for the press at the rate OF
500 week, while it seems that in the
near future there will ,e practically no
limit to the number If books that may be-
reproduced without setting Il line Of type.
1t is the simplest thing in the world
| that is, to explain on paper. Gclatine.
when prepared by this secret process, has
! the property OF becoming almost as hard
as metal when exposed to the sunlight,
and remaining soft and soluble when kept
| in the dark. When in a liquid state it is
run out into thin sheets about type
high"
There is no International copyright. \
copy of the English edition Of the ency
cloppdia is cut up and carried to the pho
tographers' room in this engraving estab-
lishment. The pages are put in front of
large cameras and photographed. The
result is a black and white negative
de,lse!y black and absolutely translucent.
making !, fac similc "f the type pages.
In the ne eyative the black part of the page
that is, the type mattcr--is translucent,
and the white part of the Iage-that is.
the paper-is densely black.
These negatives are next placed in
frames over the sheets OF yel;ltinc and eX-
posed to the sunlight. Where the sun
shines through the negative the gelatine
becomes almost RS hard as metal; where
the black portion of the negative
protects the gclatine i, remains soft
and soluble. The yclatine sheet
thus printed is taken into IL
dark room and washed with II brush and
ordinary water. The soluble portion dis
appears, leaving the hardened part-that
is. the typc-standing mp in bold relief.
1t is practically exactly like Il page of
gclatine plate is then clectrotyped and
from these clcctrotypes the book printed,
The illustrations are made in the same
way. \ dot or a line 50 tine that it Cal.
he seen only NTH the aid of II microscope
''concs ont" in the negative, and the
minute ray o: the sun that shines through
that intlnitesual aperture hartens its in
Gniicsmal mo'seule of gelatine
English and other uncopyrighted works
are now being reproduced by American
publishers cheaper than they can be set in
type, alul without the trouble and delay
of looking over proof sheets, etc. A
leather goes into one end OF II machine
and comes ul, Il finished shoe ut the her,
SO English books go into this machine one
day, and the next day plates come ont
complete from which american editions
may be printed. Cuts are clipped from
foreign hooks and periodicals. go through
this process. and in II few days alon our
American hooks. York letter.